A Little Lilac

A Frosty Morning

2012-02-06T09:38:00.000-06:00

Saturday morning, we awoke to a lovely, frosty sight!

This winter has been unseasonably warm, so this was a nice surprise.

You can see we still don't have much for snow, which is entirely weird here in the frozen tundra!

This is the railing on our deck. I thought it was cool how the frost was sideways! But so much for the cool weather, today it's supposed to get up to 40!

Hope you have a great Monday! :-)

Here I Am

2012-01-31T19:06:00.001-06:00

Today

As I filled my 16 oz. cup with decaf coffee

in the gas station at Main and 5th St.

I thought about all the kids from high school

Here I am, still here

At this same spot I worked as a cashier

Twenty-two years ago

Back then, I wore a uniform shirt with the gas station logo on thepocket

and a silly crisscross tie

Today, my uniform shirt held my badge

My pants have a stripe

and I carry a handgun on my duty belt

Who would have thought

I could make those dreams

I dreamt while stocking shelves

Of becoming a police officer

Come true

Now, everyday

I drive a marked squad down the same streets

Through the same neighborhoods

Past the same McDonalds, same Pizza Hut

That my friends and I hung out at

and all these years later

I am still proud to call this city

My city

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A Visit with Great-Grandma (My Grandma)

2012-01-23T09:06:00.001-06:00

Last Saturday, I received a call from my aunt up north. She said my 89 year old grandma wasn't doing so well. Guilt immediately took over, knowing Cubbie and Sprout had never met her. She lives four hours away and we just haven't had a chance to make it up there. So imagine DH's surprise when I told him I was driving up there the next day. I had to go by myself because DH had to work. So the boys and I hit the road Sunday morning and headed to grandma's nursing home.

Grandma's eyes lit up when she saw my two boys. She immediately reached out to hug them. I was so glad they didn't get scared or pull away, considering they had never met her before. Instead, they gave her a big hug back. They were really excited to meet their great-grandma.

(This picture was taken by Sprout, hence the weird angle of the shot. All of the employees were busy in resident's rooms.)

I was so glad we had the chance to get up there and visit with her. Her spirits were lifted just seeing my boys playing on the floor in her room with toys that she's had for years and years. See, she is my mom's mom. My mom died when I was 14 in a car accident. I had to move down to the cities to live with my dad and step mother, so my contact with grandma and my mom's relatives was not very frequent. Over the years, especially since getting married and having kids, I just haven't been in contact as much. I did just recently get on Facebook so I could keep up with them.

My grandma is an amazing woman. She managed to raise nine children while living in poverty and with an alcoholic husband. She eventually moved to the cities and got a job with the state. She was forced to retire due to a brain tumor which was removed successfully but with some paralysis on her right side of her face. She has endured many tragedies, including the murder of my uncle and the death of my mom. But in the face of it all, grandma's faith has never wavered. She is responsible for the salvation of pretty much all of us in the family! Pictures of Jesus always covered her walls and still do in her room at the nursing home. Grandma would ask us directly about our faith and talk to us about accepting Jesus in our hearts. I've always admired her devotion to reading the Bible and keeping the sabbath. My fondest memories are going to church with her. During the sermon, right when my cousins and I were about to get fidgety, she would silently hand over candies to each of us.

I love you grandma.

Lilies of the Field

2012-01-22T10:14:00.001-06:00

I love this scripture. I look it up when I'm getting caught up in my worries and forget how much we mean to our heavenly father. I also wanted to post something bright and cheery considering we are in the depths of winter here in the frozen tundra. I can't wait for Spring! :-)

My Day

2012-01-18T20:54:00.004-06:00

Here I sit

at the dealership

wondering how the oil change

on my way home from work

has turned into a two hour, $450 break job

My root canal re-do from yesterday

aching up in to my brain

A license plate scribbled on my hand

from a wanted vehicle

we were looking for earlier today

JBL speakers pipe in elevator music

Cool air blasts down on me

from the vent in the ceiling

I’ve inadvertently sat under

Giant goldfish lazily swim about

in the vat in front of me

as I read in People about people half their size

I haven’t seen my boys since 6AM

Now it's 6PM

and wish I was home.

(This was my day today. And yes, now I'm home :-)

Our Little Weekend Away

2012-01-10T18:59:00.002-06:00

Last weekend, we escaped the city for a little R and R before DH started up school again this week. This was the view off our balcony. What a lovely sunrise!

God's amazing creation!

One of the ships heading in to port.

Another ship heading out to deeper waters. Do you see the little fishing boat along side? He didn't keep up for very long, this thing was cruising!

This little tugboat was anchored in the small town we stayed at. It was the last steam driven tugboat on the Great Lakes, retired in 1980.

Sometimes, it's nice just to get away. This week, we are back in full school, work, and chaos mode! I already had a little melt down on Monday, freaking out at DH saying, "I can't do this! There's no way we can juggle all this!" But he assured me that we managed to do it his first semester, we can do it again. And he's right. But for a control freak like me, this unknown, figuring out week by week how we are going to be in five places at once, working afternoons one day, then doubling back and working days the next, is hard. But then I say a little prayer and just take each day as it comes.

Mario Kart, Legos and Jingle....Oh My!

2012-01-03T20:15:00.001-06:00

Yes, I'm ~~a little~~ a lot behind in blogging. But I'll get to that later...

Christmas was a blast for my two little guys! We first started out by making cupcakes Christmas eve for Jesus' birthday. Then, Christmas morning, the boys opened their presents. Sprout got Legos, Mario Kart (to be shared by both boys) and lots of other fun things.

(BTW, did you notice it was still dark out?!? As in 0600 hours on Christmas morning!)

My little Cubbie. It's just amazing to see from Christmas to Christmas how big he's gotten. He's not a baby anymore.

Then, we headed over to my sister in laws. Do you see the excitement on Sprout's face? Well, that's because he got the one thing he REALLY wanted...

A Mack truck!
And yes, DH had to work, hence the scrubs. He could only stick around for a little while before he had to leave.

Cubbie gets excited about anything. He loves presents, even $5 Lego kits! But his favorite present...

Jingle the husky puppy from Hallmark!

So there's my recap. Sorry I've been a bit MIA from the blogging world. Between the holidays, my work and DH having his finals, it's been kind of crazy around here. I hope to get caught up on all your blogs soon! I hope you had a blessed Christmas and a happy New Year! :-)

Playing in the (Lack of) Snow

2011-12-19T20:12:00.001-06:00

Sunday was a beautiful 45 degree day. Here in the frozen tundra, that is down right balmy in December! So of course, my boys could not pass up the opportunity to go play in the snow or what was left of it!

My baby, you're not going to kick snow at mama, are you???

Just look at that guilty little face.

Yes, it was still cold enough for red cheeks, not to mention...

runny noses!

Oh well, at least we got outside!

So I'm guessing it will be a brown Christmas, which is pretty rare in these parts. But can I share a little secret??? I'll take these milds temps any day over a white Christmas! Shhh, don't tell my boys :-)

1st Semester Final! (Leap of Faith Update)

2011-12-12T08:10:00.002-06:00

Right now, as I write this, DH is taking his 1st semester final. I can't believe how fast this first semester in his RN program has gone. He's done really well and I'm sure he'll do fine on the final.

I'm so proud of him. Last year at this time, he was still a chiropractor running his own clinic. But he knew something was missing. He knew he wanted to do something different, something more fulfilling. Now, a year later, the pieces are falling into place. He found a buyer for his clinic last February, found a nursing assistant position at an assisted living facility and was accepted into the RN program at a local college. My work, thank goodness, has been open to letting me work flexible hours since I supervise officers on two different shifts. The boy's school schedules have amazingly fit within that. I just can't say enough how much God has orchestrated all of this. I have no other explanation.

So I'll keep you posted on how his final goes. I keep sending up little prayers, hoping all his studying has paid off!

Photo Credit

Crash

2011-12-06T21:41:00.002-06:00

Crash

The stolen car slammed into a tree

Earlier, they had been seen

Two 18 year olds and a 19 year old, my big brother

Rummaging through a dumpster behind a restaurant

Hungry, alone, three states south of here, running, running away

The officer first on scene ran the plate

It came back hot

And a car chase ensued

Through town and onto country roads

My brother in the right rear passenger seat

Not in control, a follower

All his short life

I wonder sometimes if he was scared or excited or high

They said there was a hay bale in the road

The car swerved to miss it

And slammed into a tree

They said my brother had his seat belt on but it didn’t matter

That’s right where the tree impacted

They said he lived a couple hours

Just enough to make it to the hospital

But he died before we ever even knew

I remember the open casket

The mortician's make-up on the right side of his face that didn’t look quite right

His blond, feathered 80's style hair

My big brother was gone

Six months after my mom’s crash that took her life

I now know he was lost

Lost in life, lost without her

I imagine sometimes them sitting in heaven together

Both at peace

For the first time in both of their lives.

Author's note: Honestly, that was hard to write. I fought back tears just letting this take me where it went. Sorry if it's so sad. The prompt for today at RemembeRED was "Crash" and the challenge was just to sit and write whatever came to your mind. This is where it led me. I was 14 at the time.

My Sick Baby Boy

2011-12-05T07:52:00.000-06:00

I know Cubbie is sick when he voluntarily lies down for a nap. Yesterday, he said his head hurt. He grabbed the ice pack (that's what's on his head) from the freezer, lied down on the couch with my old 90's-ish comforter and fell asleep.

So I sent Daddy and Sprout outside to shovel the driveway, while I cuddled up next to Cubbie, gave him toesie rubs and read my Kindle.

We don't normally give our children medicine, but he was pretty miserable so after a few hours, I caved and gave him some Children's Tylenol. Within an hour he was his old self and he felt fine the rest of the day. I was so glad. You know how that is. I think as moms we always worry about how bad it's gonna get until the fever breaks. But I have to admit it was nice having a little quality time cuddling on the couch...my sweet baby boy. (I know he's not a baby anymore but I don't care. He's MY baby. ;-)

So I Fell Down the Stairs...

2011-12-01T07:22:00.001-06:00

No punch line.

Seriously, I fell down the stairs. The back stairs at work, to be exact.

I was in a hurry, had my cell phone in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. The steps are the kind with the rubber coating. I saw that they had been freshly mopped and thought to myself, "I better be careful." Next thing I knew, I was airborne. Down a whole flight I went. I landed on my right side, causing my gun (in it's holster) to slam into my ribs. I immediately felt a shooting pain in my right side. Two officers who were coming down the steps a few flights up from me heard me. They came running down and said, "Are you okay!?!" I felt so stupid that I said, "Yeah, I'm fine," got up and walked out to my squad car. I was so embarrassed, I could have had a broken leg and I swear I would have still got up and walked out.

I drove my squad car to my office, closed my office door, took my vest off and examined myself for any signs of a fracture. I didn't find any but I was in some serious pain. One of my officers convinced me to go to the hospital. I told the nurse that I've given birth naturally to two babies so I can handle pain, but this seriously hurt. I thought for sure I had broken some ribs but instead it turned out no fracture, just bruised ribs. She prescribed Vicodin! Um yeah, no thanks. I think I'll stick to ibuprofen.

Now, a week later, the shooting pain is gone, but I'm still pretty sore. The worst part is everyone at work knows! In my line of work, battle scars and injuries come with the territory but when you get one from something as lame as falling down the stairs...well, let's just say I already have a few nicknames! ;-)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-23T20:46:00.002-06:00

Have a happy and blessed Thanksgiving!

Monday Morning

2011-11-14T09:51:00.000-06:00

I am thankful for lazy Monday mornings, not having to go to work until the afternoon and free Cars 2 printables! Click here for the link.

Oh hi there, my baby boy....

His masterpiece! That evil Professor Z! (Yes, I was disappointed in how much violence was in the movie.)

Sprout takes coloring very seriously. Look at how he attempts to get the colors exactly as they are on the real car!

What are YOU thankful for this week?

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Leap of Faith Update

2011-11-07T08:55:00.001-06:00

Several people have asked me how DH is doing in his RN program, so I figured it was time for an update.

He's doing great. Studying A LOT! Much of the material is coming naturally to him due to his twelve years in chiropractic. When his class did their first clinical, the exercise was to check heart rate and take blood pressure. Everyone else was too nervous to go first so DH offered to go first because he felt comfortable doing it. The first theory test was challenging because he needed to think more like a nurse and not the primary care physician. Now that he has adapted his perspective, he's scoring near the top of the class. (Ok, maybe I'm bragging on him a bit too much, but I'm proud of him!)

The challenging part has been at home. Since much of his time is either studying or working a few shifts at his job, I'm having to do most of the work at home while balancing my own career. I feel like I'm on my feet from 5:30 am to 10 pm! We knew this two years would be a challenge, and it is. But it is going fast. He's almost done with the first semester!

Our biggest concern is that the boys don't get lost in the crazy shuffle. On any given day, DH is at school, then the second he gets home, I'm bolting out the door to get to work. Or I go to work in the morning, then when I get home, DH heads off to do a shift at his job. So we try to love them up as much as we can, making our time together more quality. Sometimes I just sit down, leave the house a mess, and cuddle up with the boys while watching a movie.

So that's the update! Please keep us in your prayers as we continue to lift our future up to Him. At any moment, I could be transferred at work and have to work straight day shifts. If that happened, I don't know what we would do with the boys. There's no way we could afford daycare right now. But DH keeps telling me that God wouldn't have brought us this far and opened this many doors if He didn't have a plan for us.

Photo credit.

A Police Officer and a Pirate

2011-11-01T20:32:00.002-05:00

I normally work evenings on Mondays, but of course I didn't want to miss trick or treating with my boys, so thankfully my MIL watched the boys during the day while I worked the day shift. Then, in the evening, I took the boys around the 'hood while DH gave out candy at home.

So does it surprise me that Cubbie chose a police officer costume? No. Several neighbors thought it was pretty fitting. Maybe some day I can make him a real costume with my department's patches and all! How cool would that be! (Anyone know how to sew??? ;-)

Why is it so hard to get kids to smile? I of course always resort to, "Say Cheese!" Oh well, they're still cute! (Can I say that about my own kids???)

"Honest officer, the mutiny wasn't my idea, I swear!"

And now, a couple of my favorite shots. I thought about turning this one black and white. I still might...

Sprout was trying to be a tough pirate here. He just looks so serious, I love it.

So that's my photo overload for you all! Hope you liked it (especially Sherry and Marydon! :-)

Oh and so many of my bloggy friends are having link ups this week, I couldn't resist joining in on the fun!

(Emmy, hope you don't mind, not quite ten things :-)

Faith That Moves Mountains

2011-10-29T20:10:00.002-05:00

Mt. Crested Butte, Colorado
elevation 9,898 feet

How Do You Pray for Someone You Don't Like?

2011-10-28T20:54:00.002-05:00

Challenging.

That has been my work lately. There’s a person at work (not a fellow officer) I have to deal with on a daily basis that is…well, challenging.

At first, he just frustrated me. Then, when his attitude became personal, I took offense to it. I told my supervisor and everyone I could. And yet, nothing has changed.

So what is left?

I pray.

I pray for God’s protection, I pray for God’s guidance and I pray for God to make it stop.

But then, one evening this week, when I was at my wits end, I read Emmy’s post and I felt convicted.

I need to pray for this person. And I did. Not that I wanted to, mind you. But I did.

Nothing has changed yet, but at least I know I did what God wants me to do…pray.

Photo Credit

MomSense Book Review and Giveaway!

2011-10-26T07:30:00.002-05:00

MomSense:

A Common-Sense Guide to Confident Mothering

by Jean Blackmer

Description: What is the right way to mother? Can a mom trust her intuition? Or should she follow the advice of one of many parenting books? Into this fog of theory and philosophy, MomSense shines a light of refreshing clarity.

Through personal stories from real moms and proven, practical advice, MomSense helps moms honestly assess their skills, embrace their mothering instincts, and develop their own unique mothering style. Rather than pushing one "right" way to be a mom, this liberating book shows moms that they are the best mom for their kids and that they can have contentment, joy, and confidence in their role. A perfect gift for a new or experienced mom, MomSense is also an excellent resource for women's small groups and MOPS groups.

My Review: When I first learned I was pregnant with Sprout, doubts slowly crept their way into my mind.

"What kind of mom am I going to be?"

"How will I know what to do?"

Since my mom had died when I was 14, I was worried that I wouldn't have a clue about how to be a good mom.

One thing I learned reading, MomSense: A Common-Sense Guide to Confident Mothering by Jean Blackmer was I'm not alone. A lot of women struggle with their confidence as a mom. I think the best advice I got from the book was, "You are the best mom for your children and you have what it takes to raise them."

As I read MomSense, I felt both assured that I'm doing some things right, like showing affection and teaching my children to be respectful, and also convicted that I can do others things better, like not yelling and being more patient. I believe any mom, whether she has big kids or little kids, can take away some valuable insight from this book.

Giveaway: Thanks to MOPS International Inc. (Mothers of Preschoolers), I have TWO copies of MomSense to give away!

Mandatory Entry: Leave a comment on this post and include your email if not in your profile.

Additional entries:

Follow my blog (A Little Lilac) via Google Friend Connect (or if you are a follower already), then leave a comment telling me so.
Follow me (@CM_alittlelilac) on Twitter (or if you are a follower already), then leave a comment telling me so.
Follow MOPS International on Twitter (@MOPS_Int), then leave a comment telling me so.

US residents only please. This giveaway will be open until 9 PM CST on Wednesday, November 2nd, 2011.

Disclosure: I received a free copy of this book and two free copies to give away. I was not paid for this review or in any way influenced. This is just my honest opinion after reading MomSense.

**Giveaway now closed**

Winners are comment #6 (SillyHille) and #10 (Emmy). I will be contacting the winners by email.

Creepy!

2011-10-23T21:42:00.000-05:00

Considering it's Halloween season, I decided to post this entirely disturbing image I captured on the picture window in my living room. Okay, maybe only I think these nasty little things are creepy and yes, I was glad there was a thick sheet of glass separating me and my children from it. Remember, I hate bees! Or whatever this evil thing is!

PS. Let's pretend you didn't notice how dirty window is, ok? ;-)

I Love Preschool

2011-10-21T05:47:00.000-05:00

My little fireman!
Last week was fire prevention week at Cubbie's preschool.

Can you guess what he was here???

They made this hat the week before. The scripture for that week was:

"God made the animals," Genesis 1:25.

Can you guess what he is???

I love preschool.

Miscellany Monday

2011-10-17T09:11:00.000-05:00

I know with two boys, we are destined to end up in the emergency room sooner or later. So, last week, when Sprout fell while climbing on the retaining wall, I wasn't totally surprised.

What did surprise me when I got home from work (DH was home with the boys) was the HUGE goose egg on his forehead! Thank goodness it went down pretty quickly. Now, I just wonder what his Kindergarten teacher thinks of us! Bad parents...I know.

I made my first pumpkin pie from scratch (minus the crust.) And it was actually pretty tasty! I love fall!

I won! Thanks to Mountain Mama I won these awesome books! Talk about perfect timing. I've been wanting to find a new Christian book to read and now I have three!

Happy Monday! I hope you have a great week! :-)

I'm Free!

2011-10-12T20:43:00.000-05:00

I've done it, I've gone two weeks without coffee! It's the best feeling. I feel normal. I'm not nervous or jittery, I'm less edgy or impatient. I'm just ME! No more once an hour bathroom breaks either.

And guess what???

I'VE LOST THREE POUNDS!!!

WOO HOO!!! HAPPY DANCE!

See, our scale at home died right about the time DH and I quit drinking coffee. Yesterday at work, after PT time, I stepped on the scale in the locker room and it showed I lost 3 pounds! I was so shocked, I said out loud, "No way!" Yes, I got a few curious looks.

I'm sure it's because now I'm not chasing a ton of half and half with sugar or using flavored creamers. Not to mention that Oreo that always went so well with my coffee EVERY morning.

So what did I replace it with? This...

I've never been much of a tea drinker before but this stuff is awesome! Add a little honey and a hot bath, and I'm in heaven!

One Last Time...

2011-10-06T20:12:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, we popped our pop up...

one last time.

We fished off the dock...

Parked our bikes beside Nana and Papa's cabin...

Broke

a stick

over our heads...

and played

in the leaves...

one last time.

How have YOU said Good-bye to Summer???

No Training Wheels!

2011-09-28T07:31:00.002-05:00

Cubbie learned how to ride his bike without training wheels right after we got back from our trip to Colorado. And he's only 3! He obviously inherited his daddy's bike riding skills!

Now if he could just learn to use the brakes...

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So I've Decided to Quit Drinking Coffee...

2011-09-26T07:57:00.001-05:00

My hubby and I have decided to quit drinking coffee. Here are a few of my reasons:

1. I'm tired of being jittery all the time.

2. Save $8.99 a week on the ground Starbucks coffee we were buying to brew at home.

3. Um, well, lets just say I've noticed I need to start whitening my teeth.

4. Tired of paying almost $2 for a simple cup of ~~small~~ (oh sorry) TALL coffee!
5. Too many trips to the bathroom.

6. I want to feel normal. I was getting to the point where I NEEDED my coffee and not just in the morning. I've never been addicted to anything but it sure started feeling that way.

I tried going cold turkey in the past but the headaches were too intense. So, we decided to wean ourselves. The first week, we cut back to just one small cup of coffee in the morning. The second week, we only had a half cup of coffee in the morning. Yesterday, we stopped totally. Also, we are not drinking ANY caffeinated beverages. We want to cut out caffeine all together. I bought some decaf tea just to get me by until I don't feel a need for something warm to drink in the morning.

I'll keep you posted. So far, so good. Yesterday I only had a mild headache in the afternoon that went away after I ate dinner. I think it really helps to have someone else going through it at the same time. When I feel like I want to cave (like every afternoon when I'm tired), I remember that I promised DH I would do it with him.

Now I'm NOT saying there's anything wrong with drinking coffee. But for me, I just want my body back to normal without any stimulants affecting me. I'm already hyper enough! :-)

Kindness in an Asian Cucumber

2011-09-21T09:51:00.001-05:00

My t-shirt was damp with sweat under my ballistic vest.

My contacts were dried out, making the headache pounding in my head even worse.

And I still had two hours left in my shift.

It was one of those nights.

I was crabby, tired, and really didn’t feel like having to talk or deal with anyone.

I pulled up to one of the public housing hi-rises to do a walk-through.

As my headlights crossed the entryway, I saw an elderly Hmong woman, multicolored skirt flowing in the slight breeze, pushing a grocery cart full of produce. She probably had just come from her garden plot somewhere other than here. As I tapped on my squad laptop, putting myself out at that location, I saw the Hmong woman coming towards my passenger side. I rolled down my window and in her wrinkly little hands she held a large melon or gourd, green tinged. With a big smile, she nodded for me to take it from her outstretched arms that were now reaching into my squad car. I hefted the melon/gourd into my passenger seat and said, “Thank you,” smiling and nodding my head.

I got out of my squad and held the front door of the hi-rise open for her. She said something in Hmong and then made an eating gesture, bringing her hand up to her mouth. I had to laugh to myself. Does she think I don’t know it’s food? I smiled at her and again said, “Thank you” as she padded slowly past me pushing her grocery cart onto the awaiting elevator.

After I walked through the hi-rise, I headed back to my squad car. And there on my passenger seat sat my melon/gourd. I met up with one of my Hmong officers in my unit and told him I had no clue what it was. He said, “Oh very good, it’s an Asian cucumber.”

This simple gesture reminded me that there is good in this world, no matter how bad some people are that we deal with. I felt so special that she gave me her treasured cucumber that she grew with her own fragile hands. I’ve never met her before, never did anything for her, yet she saw my squad car and choose to give it to me. She doesn’t know I have two little boys that will devour it. Or that I was in a crabby mood and needed a little pick me up. She just simply was being kind.

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Mt. Crested Butte, CO

2011-09-19T07:48:00.001-05:00

Our last stop before we started heading home was Mt. Crested Butte, elevation 9,898. My DH skied here before we ever met. I look at that mountain and seriously, I just can't imagine our little intermediate runs back home are nothing but little hills compared to this mammoth!

My boys.

There was a free shuttle that ran between the ski resort and the little town of Crested Butte, down in the valley. This was Sprout's first "city bus" ride! He was so excited! It was Cubbie's too.

This town was amazing. Every direction you looked, there were mountains. Several of them were 14ers, meaning over 14,000 feet.

I just couldn't believe all the peaks. I could post another ten pics of mtns, but I'll spare you ;-)

And now, we have come to the end of our road trip to CO. It was 16 hours each way. The boys actually handled it fairly well, minus the one time Cubbie got sick while we were driving through high elevation and multiple passes near Vail. Poor baby.

So I leave you with some mountain wildflowers. I hope you enjoyed the virtual tour of Colorado!

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Mt. Sneffels

2011-09-17T09:56:00.001-05:00

Mt. Sneffels is my favorite "14er" in Colorado! At an elevation of 14,150, it's majestic peak can be seen for miles before you actually get near it. The little town of Ouray, nicknamed the Switzerland of America, sits at the base.

Of all our stops, this was the only place we actually camped. Little did we realize at night it would get down in the 40s!

The temp didn't matter to the boys. They love camping!

Just look at this wild boy! Gotta love biking in the mountains!

The Grand Mesa, CO

2011-09-12T07:53:00.003-05:00

Now that the beginning of school posts are done, I can get back to posting about our Colorado road trip!

This is a little known spot called "The Grand Mesa." It's between Grand Junction and Delta, Colorado. My DH lived in Delta for two years before I met him. The Mesa was his favorite place to back country ski, hike, and mountain bike. It's the largest flat top mountain in the world. At it's peak, the elevation is 11,333!

And yes, it's straight down RIGHT behind him! Crazy man.

The wildflowers were absolutely beautiful. Doesn't this make you want to just lie down in the field? Ok, maybe not. I actually asked DH if I needed to worry about any snakes before I ventured off to take this photo. He laughed at me and said we were too high in elevation to worry about snakes. What do I know, we only have little garter snakes back home!

Cubbie's 1st Day of Preschool!

2011-09-09T07:16:00.000-05:00

Do you think he was excited?!?

Yes, not to be left out, Cubbie started preschool yesterday! He was so happy that it was finally his turn. He has the same teachers Sprout had, and they adored him, so I'm hoping they'll love Cubbie just as much.

I just hope they're ready for his precious little personality!

And yes, this post makes it glaringly obvious that I need to change my header picture because...sniffle, sniffle...he's not a baby anymore.

Sprout's 1st Day of Kindergarten!

2011-09-07T07:13:00.001-05:00

"Look out Kindergarten, here I come!"

So yes, I did the obligatory picture in front of the front door.

But honestly, this...

is my favorite! My little man.

DH was trying desperately to pin Sprout's ID tag on his backpack before the bus arrived. Yes, we are newbie parents to this whole school thing. Just look at Sprout's face, so serious, waiting intently for that all important school bus!

And this is our failed attempt at a family shot. Glaring sun + two squirrelly boys = squinty, crabby photo! Oh well, next time.

Overall, Sprout did great! When he got home, he was so excited to tell me about the bucket that held all types of trucks and cars. When asked what his favorite part of the day was, he said, "recess!" But of course! :-)

Linked to:

Colorado National Monument

2011-09-01T06:17:00.003-05:00

The Colorado National Monument is just outside of Grand Junction. It rises from 4,600 feet to almost 7,000 feet. The drive is incredible! Ok, in all honesty, it scared the heck out of me. The road was barely wide enough for two cars, and STRAIGHT DOWN on the passenger side with NO guard rail! Needless to say, DH was ready to kill me by the 10th time I said, "Slow down, get over more!"

More scenery. Isn't this just incredible. God really knew what he was doing!

We didn't expect to find this little cactus up on top of the monument. The boys thought it was pretty cool.

"Me and My Shadow"

This is one of the few times I let the boys more than an arm's distance away. Considering the drop was 2,000 feet off the cliffs, I was basically a nervous wreck.

Lightning had struck the night before, causing this wild fire. I used my zoom lens, so it's actually farther away than it looks.

Another amazing site. Butte-iful! (sorry, couldn't resist :-)

Stay tuned for more! Well, maybe after Sprout's Kindergarten post on Tuesday. Oh, and I found out, his class size is now only 16, they hired another teacher, thank goodness!

Colorado Road Trip

2011-08-28T15:35:00.000-05:00

This was our first view of the mountains as we headed WB on I70 in CO. Beautiful! Cubbie thought it was cool. Sprout said, "I wanna go home." I think he was just a little freaked out by the enormity of it all, considering the highest point in our state is only 2,300 feet. He was fine after he got use to it.

Crazy. Sure wouldn't want to be behind the wheel of an out of control 18 wheeler!

I couldn't wait to see the Eisenhower Tunnel. On previous trips to CO, we never went this way on I70. Elevation 11,013...Now that's what I'm talkin' bout!

It was built the year I was born! Oh wait, that means it's 38 years old....

I couldn't believe how long the tunnel was. It just seemed to last forever. I don't normally get claustrophobic but this thing did start to freak me out. Just the idea of being under a mountain is crazy!

And the view out the other side!

Hope you enjoyed my little virtual tour. Stay tuned for more :-)

This Is Just What We Do

2011-08-26T10:31:00.001-05:00

Today, I begin working a 3PM to 11PM shift three days a week and a day shift two days a week so DH can go to school. He’s in a two-year RN program.

I slept in, cuddled with my boys while watching Mickey Mouse Club, helped them do an art project and made fruit smoothies.

My world is balancing being a mom, a wife, and a police officer.

Once the boys were busy playing on their own, I got on my computer to check some work emails. I came across two things: a police shoot-out in Wisconsin and a police officer ~~killed~~ assassinated in San Diego, just sitting in his squad car. I watch these dramatic videos and read the tragic news stories as I hear Dinosaur Train coming from my living room.

I try not to think of the unthinkable. You can’t as a police officer or else you will never be able to do your job. I won’t be afraid. I won’t avoid dangerous calls or look the other way when I see a traffic violation. I will do my job, by the grace of God. I have to trust that He will protect me. I’m 5’0 and 113 lbs. I’m not going to kid myself, I can’t go toe to toe with some huge guy. But I have my instincts, my tools on my belt, my sixteen years of experience and my ability to talk people into my backseat. Not to mention my back-up. As a sergeant, my risk is lessened a bit, but not much. Our last police officer killed was a sergeant.

Now I must go play hide and seek with a three and five year old. And later, as I hug and kiss them good-bye, I will say a little prayer that I will make it home safely. Once I begin driving away from home, I will turn off my mom mode and turn on my cop mode, leaving it all behind. That is just what we do. Then, when I return home, I will sneak into their rooms and kiss their sleepy little heads, thankful to be home.

Author’s note: This was written from my heart. I almost didn’t post it for fear that other police officers might read it and think I’m a wimp or weak. But I’m just being real.

A Motorcycle Birthday

2011-08-22T06:08:00.002-05:00

We aren't really motorcycle people. More like bike people, as in pedal bike. So when Sprout said he wanted a "Motorcycle Birthday," I wasn't really sure where to go with that. Thank goodness, Target came through! Check out Sprout's cool ~~dirt bike~~ motorcycle cake...

(I edited out his real name on the cake for these pics)

I think his little brother was a bit more excited than Sprout was. Or maybe it's just his true mischievous self showing through!

Sprout's party was actually at the end of July, he turned five. I've been crazy busy and we just returned from ten days in Colorado. And as of today, we begin a new chapter in our lives...DH goes back to school. In two weeks, Sprout and Cubbie start school too. So here we go! I'll keep ya all posted as our lives are about to get very hectic!

Linked to:

Choo Choo

2011-08-07T14:26:00.000-05:00

I've been trying to get better at keeping up with my scrapbooking. Here's the latest little outing we took the boys on.
What little boy doesn't love a train ride!

All aboard!

Hope you enjoyed the virtual train ride with us! :-)

(and my amateur attempt at digital scrapbooking!)

Anyone Have a Kleenex???

2011-07-29T06:12:00.001-05:00

On Wednesday, we met Sprout's kindergarten teacher for a "Meet and Greet." While Sprout took some readiness tests, DH walked around the school with Cubbie while I filled out paperwork.

It's real. It's really happening. My first born is starting school.

After the meet and greet, I had to head in to work. During my drive, everything felt so surreal. It's like it's finally hitting me. My baby boy isn't a baby anymore.

Yes, he did preschool for two years, but somehow, that was different. Now, it really counts. This is the real deal. School lockers, big kids, tests, school bathrooms, lunch time, and bus stops.

He will be going two full days a week and every other Friday. His teacher said his class is at 30 kids, but they're hoping the school board approves another teacher. I'm trying to be okay with that. I went to public schools all my life, half of them in packed inner city classrooms. But this is not me, it's my child, my little boy. 30 five and six year olds for one teacher seems like a lot to me.

I guess all I can do is pray that this is the right school for him. We have a few other public school options, thanks to open enrollment, but that would involve driving quite a distance and he wouldn't be in school with the neighboring kids.

I am excited too though. I love his classroom, with the little cubbies, miniature desks and chairs, and a smart board. I know he'll thrive. He loves to learn, loves being around other kids, and I could tell he felt totally comfortable with his teacher.

And what's with a page long list of supplies? What ever happened to a box of pencils, a folder and a few notebooks? Times have changed, I guess.

So, my friends, please be patient with me as I try to sort out all my emotions about my little Sprout heading off to school. I think I may need to buy an extra Kleenex box for myself! ;-) (EVERY Kindergartner needs a box of Kleenex, really?)

Leap for Joy!

2011-07-24T17:34:00.000-05:00

Linked to:

My Little Baseball Player

2011-07-20T06:15:00.000-05:00

Sprout played his first team sport this summer, baseball!

I convinced DH to take my camera with and snap a few shots for me, since it's during the day while I'm at work.

Sprout posed long enough for a photo...

and then...

off he went!

I just love his little arm sticking out, so much enthusiasm. He's a good little runner too. Maybe someday he'll go for a run with his mama :-)

PS. If anyone knows a good PSE trick to fix eye glass glare, please let me know. Thanks!

Linked to:

So If I'm a Little Spacey Lately...

2011-07-15T07:47:00.000-05:00

A blog about lilacs...

And I totally spaced off posting pics of my lilacs in full bloom!

What was I thinking! Sorry, I've been slacking lately. Yes, these were taken in June, so forgive me.

In all honesty, my job has been crazy busy, life is hectic juggling me working days and DH working afternoons. Plus, we are getting ready for the Fall....DH going back to school, Sprout starting Kindergarten, Cubbie starting preschool, and me working afternoon shifts three out of five days a week just so we can juggle it all! Our goal is to not have to use daycare and for Sprout to not have to do all day, every day Kindergarten, just the regular part time Kindergarten.

We will see. Right not, it feels like the calm before the storm. I have no clue how we are going to actually make this all come together. Or I should say how I'm going to manage to stay sane!

So if I post some random pretty pictures sometimes, please realize it's just my attempt to find some peace and calm in my soon to be chaotic world :-)

Nap Time

2011-07-13T06:24:00.000-05:00

I came home from work the other day and found this...

Melt my heart...

Linked to:

Learning Photoshop, Day 2

2011-07-12T18:42:00.003-05:00

Today's homework was to take our own image, crop it, and add some text. Here's what I came up with:

My spirea are in full bloom right now. That's the best part about the class, it pushes me to go take some new shots!

Interested? This class is for both PSE and CS users. Here's where YOU can go to join in on this FREE Photoshop e-class:

Learning Photoshop, Day 1

2011-07-11T19:38:00.000-05:00

I'm so excited that my friend Kim at Mom Tried It introduced me to Kim Klassen's Skinny Mini e-course for Photoshop Elements and CS. The best part...it's FREE!

Today was the first lesson, but it's not too late to sign up if you are interested. Go here. Kim had us upload the below photo, crop it, upload a font, and add words. See the results:

I already knew how to do most of this, except how to upload a new font. This challenged me to take the time to learn how to do it. I'm so glad I did. There are seriously dozens of cute fonts out there, I can't wait to add a bunch to my PSE 9!

A Mystery

2011-07-05T19:24:00.004-05:00

I was out for a run the other day when suddenly

I smelled that smell

A pungent odor that any police officer knows all too well

A decaying, dead something
It was strong, worse than a dead animal, I thought

My stomach tightened as I stopped in my tracks

In a half second, a few images flashed through my mind

Images I have only seen at work

But now, I was off duty

And yet, there it was

I looked around, fearing what I might find

I was along a country road

Perfect place to dump a body

My nose led me closer to the overgrown ditch

As I stood on the very edge of the pavement

I saw it

A form of something

Under some brush, near the standing water

I slowly inched my Saucony’s down the grassy slope

Hoping not to slide right in

My mind was locked on this single purpose

All my senses now alert

Looking for clues, movement, foot prints

As I got within a few feet, the stench was turning my stomach

I pushed some branches aside with my foot

And then I saw it

A dead…

DEER!

Relieved and feeling a bit stupid,

I climbed back up the embankment and finished my run.
* * * * *
Author's note: Yes, I felt silly afterwards, but there's just something about that smell that perks a police officer's nose like nothing else. I simply can't explain it. Sorry if that's kinda gross.
Linked to One Shot Wednesday
Image Credit

4th of July Tribute

2011-07-03T21:36:00.001-05:00

New York Firefighters. Heroes, every one of them.

Love this image. Such a dramatic perspective.

And the best song ever to celebrate the 4th of July:

Have a safe and happy 4th of July!

Image 1 credit
Image 2 credit

Look Mommy, No Training Wheels!

2011-06-27T06:28:00.000-05:00

Since his daddy has crazy mad biking skills, I'm not surprised that Sprout quickly did away with his training wheels.

On any given day, my boys can be seen tearing up the cul-du-sac. I watch for cars and hope that they...

watch out for each other!!!

Kindness Over a Kolache

2011-06-21T12:02:00.001-05:00

Bavarian cream, blueberry, or plain

I couldn’t make up my mind

As the cash register added up a lady’s order

“And I’ll pay for what she’s having too”

I looked up

She was pointing at me

Me, the cop, in uniform

Indecisive over my kolache

I felt slightly embarrassed

“Oh, you don’t have to do that.”

“But I want to as a way to say Thank You for all you do”

I was humbled

And greatful

And, well, if felt good

So rarely do we get thanks

“Oh, Ok, thank you so much.”

I went with the Bavarian cream

And a light roast to wash it down

Once in my squad car, coffee cup secured in the cup holder

I looked up to see

Her

Standing on the curb

Waiting for the bus

Oh dear...Thank you, thank you

* * * * *

Author's note: True story, happened last week. I love stopping by this little neighborhood coffeehouse once or twice a week during my shift. I've never seen this lady before and not since. I was truly humbled when I saw her waiting for the bus.

Linked to One Shot Wednesday

Image Credit

One Good Daddy

2011-06-19T07:14:00.000-05:00

Sprout at one year.

Cubbie only hours old.

I couldn't ask for a better father for my children!

* * Happy Father's Day, DH! * *

Now, I leave you with the song that always reminds me of when DH found out for the first time that he was going to be a daddy. Love it!

Christians Can Rock!

2011-06-18T13:32:00.001-05:00

I was doing dishes the other day with my headphones on while the boys watched a movie. The tuner on my MP3 hit on a random Christian radio station (not the regular one I listen to) that only came in if I stood in one spot. I was about to keep scanning for another station when suddenly, I heard this song:

Needless to say, I stood right in that spot until the song was done because I HAD to know what Christian band it was that could jam like that!

Just thought I would share! Thanks to Laanykidsmom for posting it too. Rock on! :-)

A Poem About My Dad

2011-06-14T16:11:00.000-05:00

You haven’t seen my first born since he was a baby
You’ve never met my second born
I miss you so much
But I cannot dial that last digit
Of your telephone number
The choices you have made
Are not healthy
Are not good
For me
My husband
Or my children

I wish, I dream
Of the day
A new you
The you I knew as a little girl
Walks through that door
Free of your chains
And you call me “Kiddo”
Once again
I miss you Daddy

Author's note: Sorry to be such a downer. This was the first thing that came to mind when I read Brian's post. I immediately sat down and wrote it out, letting my heart go where it went. The above image is from One Shoot Sunday and my poem is linked to One Shot Wednesday.

Guess What Flower This Is?

2011-06-13T06:28:00.001-05:00

This lovely, intriguing flower grows behind my in-law's cabin up north. Last weekend, we happen to be there while it was in full bloom. It's an orchid that produces a unique pouch. This wildflower is so rare that it is illegal to pick.

Do YOU know what it is???

Here's a hint...the pink and white version is a state flower.

Linked to:

Goin' For a Boat Ride

2011-06-08T06:05:00.000-05:00

Last weekend, we headed "up north" to my in-laws cabin. It's a bit rustic, but at least there's electricity and running (well) water.

One of the boy's favorite things to do is go for a boat ride in Papa's old Lund fishing boat. The boat was still tied up, so Cubbie didn't have his life jacket on yet.

The boys were so excited! The weather was perfect all weekend.

Just look at that smile!

My sleepy boys!

After the boat ride, DH and Cubbie crashed on Papa's old chair in the cabin.

How's YOUR summer going? Any fun plans???

Linked to:

Look What I Found!

2011-06-05T07:30:00.015-05:00

I'm always amazed at the photos I see for Ashley's Scavenger Hunt Sunday. So finally, this week, I made an effort to find items that matched. Disclaimer...I'm an amateur photographer :-)

1. HOT HOT HOT

My baby boy was just baking on a 90 degree day this week while playing outside.

2. Finding Form

I'm not too sure if I even came close on this one. But when I saw this catholic church, I literally stopped my car right there and snapped a pic.

3. Front Page

Considering a lot of the calls we go on end up being front page news, I figured the light bar on my squad car would fit. Only problem...I didn't realize how dirty the roof was until just now when I posted it! LOL!

4. Chore

Keeping the dandelions out of our yard is a never ending chore.

5. Beads

I dug around to find something other than just white beads. I found this bracelet that I had totally forgot I have!

Thanks Ashley for inspiring me to get out and take some shots this week!

My Little Graduate

2011-06-01T06:29:00.000-05:00

Sprout's preschool spring program and graduation was last week.

They sang "Baa Baa Blacksheep" with "attitude."

Just wait, you'll see...

Get down with your bad self!

Sing it, my son! How fitting that he was on the church altar. I can almost imagine him saying, "Praise the Lord! Amen!"

Sorry, couldn't resist.

And just to reminisce...

Here he is on his first day, when he was three, newly potty trained and bravely entering the church.

Next stop, Kindergarten!

(Shout out to Jenney for the before and after preschool pics idea :-)

Linked to:

Thank You (Memorial Day Tribute)

2011-05-29T15:19:00.000-05:00

To all those who have served or are serving...

Image Credit

Thank You.

She Was Wrong

2011-05-27T06:11:00.001-05:00

This was absolutely the last time
I would be stuck
In a car
With my mom
Driving drunk
But I was 14
What power did I have?
When she picked me up
After school
The stench of stale beer
Filled her black monte carlo
With rust around the wheel wells

I always knew
She would die
Young
Her drinking
Her partying
Her moods
Sooner or later
Once, I told her
“Mom, I don't know what I would do if anything ever happened to you.”
She said, “Oh don’t worry, nothing is ever going to happen to me.”
Six months later
She was gone
She was wrong

Author's note: For those of you who don't know, my mom died in a one-car accident when I was 14. I miss her a lot and loved her very much, imperfections and all.

The prompt at the Red Dress Club was to start with the words, "This was absolutely the last time" and end with "She was wrong."

The inspiration for the photo came from here.

My Baby is THREE!

2011-05-25T06:03:00.002-05:00

How did this happen?
It seems like just yesterday, my water-birth born baby boy
was placed in my arms.
And now, he's...

THREE!

Since my hubby is an avid bike rider, what else would he give his son for his third birthday...

a bike!

He already had a Strider balance bike, but since he was tearing up the neighborhood (and the lawn) we knew it was time for a pedal bike. Just look at that smile!

Cubbie said he wanted a Curious George cake...

A monkey for my little monkey!

Linked to:

Hold On For The Ride!

2011-05-19T21:56:00.000-05:00

Link up at Mrs. 4444

1. Friday, DH has the orientation for his RN program that starts in August. AUGUST! Can you believe that!?! No, I can't. My hubby, Chiropractor for 12 years, is going back to school in 3 months! I'm so proud of him, yet nervous too. How will we pay the bills on 1.5 incomes? How will he get any homework done in a house with two rambunctious boys and a demanding wife? What if he has hot looking coeds in class with him? (Kidding on that one...sort of ;-)

2. Sprout's last day of preschool was Thursday. Their spring program is next Tuesday. I can't believe he starts Kindergarten in the fall. KINDERGARTEN! How did that happen?

3. Cubbie turns three this week (B-day post to follow.) THREE! My baby, my tiny little guy is turning three. Where did time go???

4. I'm really excited to volunteer in the infant nursery at church this summer. I use to be a youth leader before we had the boys and I truly enjoyed it. Now, finally, we are at a point where I can start giving back again. And get my baby fix at the same time!

I guess you can sense a theme here. Lots of changes, everyone getting older and bigger, new challenges, renewed interests. It all just seems to be happening so fast. I guess all I can do is pray for God's guidance and hold on for the ride!

Choking on Your Smoke

2011-05-16T18:39:00.001-05:00

Sitting in the back of my dad’s cherry red 1971 Charger

Windows rolled up

My dad and step-mom puff and puff and puff

I want to gag

But they don’t care

“Please, can you crack the window” I plead

Down it goes, half an inch

Until we get on the freeway, then it goes back up

Thirty years later…

Jogging in front of the State Capitol yesterday

Congressman or Senator

I know not

He puffs and puffs and puffs while on his cell phone

I run by, holding my breath

And I want to shove it up his bu—

* * * * *

Author’s note: Sorry, I’m not normally so blunt, but I saw this prompt at the Red Dress Club and just wrote the first thing that came to mind. Just being real.

A Scary Thing Happened at the Park

2011-05-13T18:17:00.000-05:00

Last Saturday, we were at the county park. Sprout and Cubbie were running around the large play structure while DH and I watched them. Suddenly, I heard a boy, about 13-14 years old, call out Sprout’s name. Since Sprout’s real name is fairly popular and the park was pretty busy, I figured the boy was calling to a different child. Then, I realized Sprout had gone over near the boy, who was hanging out inside a tunnel with a teenaged girl. Before I got to him, Sprout said something like, “What? You have candy in your car?” I immediately called Sprout over to me and told him to not talk to strangers. Sprout said,

“But he’s not a stranger, he’s a boy.”

I told Sprout that even boys you don’t know are strangers. Just then, DH came over by me. He heard what Sprout had said about candy too. Needless to say, our antennas went up. The rest of the time while the boys played on the playground structure, we stayed right by them. A couple of times, when Sprout would do something like climb the large rope net or traverse the obstacles, I heard the boy say, “Good job, (Sprout’s real name).” Finally, DH had had enough. He went up to the boy and asked where his parents were. The boy said at the campgrounds near by. DH told the boy not to talk to Sprout. DH said the boy just blew him off.

Now, I know I should have been more concerned, especially given my profession, but honestly, I just figured the boy was slightly autistic, so I was giving him the benefit of the doubt. I told DH just to ignore the boy but keep a close eye on Sprout. Cubbie and I headed over to the beach to play in the sand. A short time later, DH came over with Sprout. Suddenly, DH said,

“He spying on us!”

I looked over by the pavilion and sure enough, I saw the boy peaking around the corner of the building. Again, I told DH to ignore him, he was probably autistic. We then headed to the picnic grounds. I took the boys with me while DH headed to the car to get the snacks and drinks I had packed. After sitting at the picnic table for the longest time, I finally walked the boys to the car to see what was taking DH so long. Here, he was on the phone with the park service. After he got off the phone, he said that while I was walking with the boys towards the picnic table, the boy was calling out Sprout’s name, telling him to “come here.” DH said the park service couldn’t do anything, it was a public park.

At this point, we decided to just eat and get out of there. Enough already. As we ate, I saw the boy and his girl friend peaking out at us from inside the men’s bathroom. Once we were done eating, we headed to the car. As I strapped Sprout into his car seat, I saw the boy heading towards us, not taking his eyes off of us as he walked between cars. Finally, he walked right out in the open, went to a part of the play structure that was closest to us, straddled it in what I can only describe as a very cocky manner, crossed his arms, and glared at us.

I had had it. Finally, my cop brain kicked in and I realized one thing…

His actions were intentional. He was stalking my child.

I yelled at DH who was almost to the car to stay with the boys. I walked across the parking lot directly at the boy. I was pissed. He sat there for a moment until I got close enough that I think he could tell I was ticked. He jumped up, ran around the play structure, and yelled for his girl friend. Since he had ran off, I then turned to two parents sitting on a bench, one who was playing on his cell phone, and told them that the boy in the red shirt had told my four year old son he had candy in his car and they might want to keep an eye on the boy. They both immediately jumped up and yelled for their sons, who were playing quite a distance away. We then left the park.

Now, in hindsight, I wish I would have called the sheriff’s office immediately. The park service was wrong. What the boy did constitutes disorderly conduct and borderline harassment.

Why am I telling you this? Because I want YOUR children to be safe. This is an example of how we need to educate our kids that other children can be a danger too. I don’t know what that boy’s intentions were or what would have happened if we weren’t right there with Sprout, but I’m glad we didn’t have to find out.

(Photo credit)

The Best Mother's Day Gift

2011-05-11T06:20:00.002-05:00

On Sunday, after church and Subway and Target, we headed home to get ready for my in-laws. Cubbie fell asleep in his car seat and instead of laying him in his bed and getting the house ready for our visitors, I decided to let Cubbie sleep on my chest.

And I'm glad I did. I listened to his little breaths, held him close, and just enjoyed holding my baby boy.

(DH took this shot with his cell phone. No, I'm not crabby, I was actually dozing off too! ;-)

Linked to:

Bring on Spring!

2011-05-04T05:31:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday, the boys were taking a nap, so I snuck outside once the rain stopped and snapped a few shots.

I was so happy to find at least a little color in my yard. Other than these pink buds, there wasn't a whole lot blooming yet.

But at least it's getting green!

Ok, enough with the April showers, now where's our May flowers??? Or I should say veggies!

Bring on Spring!

What are YOUR favorite veggies to plant/eat???

Linked to:

In Dreamland

2011-04-30T20:26:00.000-05:00

Linked to:

Beads of Memory

2011-04-26T06:05:00.001-05:00

Smooth beads

roll off my fingers

bounce and scatter

Click, tick, tick, tick, tick

about the particle board floor

in our unfinished, never to be finished house

My mom’s gift from Ben Franklin

I try to feed the thread

as I sit cross legged

feeling special

she thought of me

in a sober moment

* * * * *

Author’s note: My mom was an alcoholic and this was the first thing that came to mind when I saw the prompt at Magpie Tales. I was in third grade at the time and I loved playing with those colorful beads. Also linked to One Shot.

Bunk Beds

2011-04-22T08:01:00.001-05:00

Yes, we did it. We put both boys in ONE room! And no, I'm not getting any sleep...at least not before 10 PM when they finally quit messing around and GO TO SLEEP!

Ahem....anyways, DH and I decided to put the two boys together in Sprout’s room so we could selfishly use Cubbie's room as an office. I know, I know...bad parents. But actually, they love it. Plus, they were spending all their time playing in Sprout’s room anyhow.

Oh and don’t worry, we don’t let Cubbie up in the top bunk without supervision.

Here Sprout is showing off all his animals to Cubbie. Cubbie was so engrossed, arms folded and all!

So then Cubbie did the same, showing Sprout all the things that are special to him. Other than figuring out a better bedtime routine, I think this might just work out.

By the way, the bunk beds…they’re from Walmart! Solid, good construction, even my DH was impressed with the quality of it.

Do any of YOUR kids share a room? If so, how old are they and how does it work out???

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Sunrise

2011-04-16T15:55:00.001-05:00

Every morning

He gives us another chance because we live by grace

For a sinner like me, that clean, fresh start is such a blessing

As I try harder every day, but fall short

I gossip, I’m selfish, sometimes I curse, I’m impatient,

or I’m simply not a light in this dark world

Like we are called to be

But then I look out my window

and this beautiful sunrise reminds me

Of His mercy and His grace and His goodness

And I smile.

* * * * *

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Bring It!

2011-04-11T06:30:00.001-05:00

“Look mommy, no feet!”

“I don't know mama, should I try it too?”

“Here I go!!!”

“I did it!!!”

My little guys. They are daring, crazy, courageous boys. No trips to the ER yet, but I know it’s inevitable. So I say a little prayer and try to let them have fun without worrying too much…or at least without showing it!

These shots were taken yesterday. Finally, the snow is melted and we were able to get outside!

I’m a Fool

2011-04-06T21:21:00.001-05:00

Friday morning, April 1st, I had come in an hour late because of Sprout’s preschool conferences. Just as I was getting settled in at my desk checking emails, my CLO (Community Liaison Officer) stuck his head in the door.

“Hey Sarge, the Commander just called. He said you were supposed to be at a meeting half an hour ago.”

What? What meeting? I never miss a meeting! I jumped up, grabbed my uniform jacket and squad car key, and just as I was about to lock my office door, my CLO laughed.

“April Fools!”

Relieved, my logical thoughts took over. The commander wasn’t even working, he was out of town!

Later that SAME day…

I had just come in from doing patrol. Half hour left in my shift, I planned on checking emails and then getting out of there.

My CLO came running up to me, frantic look on his face, and in his arms, a wide-eyed one year old baby boy with a nuki in his mouth.

“Sarge, I just found this baby wondering around the hallway!”

My response, “Yeah right, that’s your nephew or something.”

“No, Really! There’s even a car seat, come see!”

The panicked look on his face convinced me. Suddenly, I had thoughts of an abandoned child report, a search for parents, a call to child protection and no hope of getting done on time. I followed him down the hall towards where he found the car seat, and as I turned the corner, there holding his hand over his mouth to keep from laughing was one of my officers! Then, it clicked in my head…it was HIS baby boy my CLO was holding! I had only seen the baby once before, so I didn’t recognize it. Both the CLO and the officer doubled over laughing. The officer said, “Sarge, I could just hear the “Oh crap” in your voice! Priceless!”

Next year, I’m staying home on April 1st….;-)

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He Got In!

2011-04-04T07:34:00.001-05:00

Yes, my DH* was accepted by the local college for the RN program starting this fall! He just received the letter in the mail last Friday.

We are so excited! It’s been such a journey over the past six months, ever since DH decided to leave chiropractic. (To read earlier posts, go here and here.) But we’ve prayed and prayed, and we just feel God’s hand on all of it. First, DH found a buyer for his clinic, which, in this economy, was a miracle alone. This allowed DH out of all of his commitments at the clinic.

Second, we thought we would be living on one income (mine), but TWO days after closing on his clinic, DH got hired at an assisted living facility close to our home.

And now third, DH got admitted to an RN program! Out of the three programs he applied to, this was the one he wanted the most. It’s closer to home than the state university and A LOT less expensive.

What does this all mean? We don’t know yet. We don’t know his class schedule yet, so things like childcare and how much he’s going to keep working we just don’t have an answer for.

I’m so proud of him! At thirty-nine, he’s changing careers and going back to school for what in his heart and his head he feels is the right direction. This truly is a leap of faith.

(*DH is an online/blogging term that stands for Darling Husband.)

He Brought Me Flowers

2011-04-01T07:18:00.001-05:00

While I was sick and being a couch potato earlier this week, Sprout came running up to me. With something hidden behind his back, he said, “I have something for you Mommy!” With a proud smile, he gave me the above Legos and said, “Look, I made you flowers!” My sweet little four year old gave his mama flowers the only way a four year old can give his mama flowers.

I love being a boy mama.

(PS. No offense to girl mamas! You get to have the cute frilly dresses and pink shoes. ;-)

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Strep

2011-03-30T17:53:00.001-05:00

Saturday. I woke up with a painful sore throat. Out of the blue. No one else had been sick. I immediately started gargling and drinking fluids, assuming it was just the onset of a sore throat. Weird thing was, I had no other symptoms.

By Tuesday morning, white splotchy patches covered my throat and when I swallowed, I felt like I was swallowing glass shards. I had avoided going in to the doctor up to that point, but when even my DH had concern on his face, I knew it was time to go in.

See, we tend to lean more towards natural health. We avoid going to the doctor unless we’ve exhausted natural health options first. We also use meds very sparingly.

However, by the time the nurse swabbed my throat, I was almost begging her for meds! Thank goodness for a positive strep test. Off to the pharmacy I went. By the time I took my first dose, swallowing was so painful that I was in tears. After two doses, the pain lessened and I had what felt more like a typical sore throat.

A look into DH’s throat revealed white spots. Cubbie’s was swollen, but no white spots. Sprout was fine. This morning, DH headed off to the doctor with Cubbie. Cubbie was positive and although DH was negative for the rapid test, the doctor still recommended meds. Then, this afternoon, it was Sprout’s turn. He was negative and surprisingly, the doctor said he did not recommend meds for him.

So now, 3 out 4 of us is on Penicillin. I hope Cubbie does okay. This is the only meds he’s ever had other than pink eye meds once.

I still have a sore throat, but I stopped being contagious this afternoon and I’m hoping to go back to work tomorrow.

This was a good lesson for us. Although we will continue to use natural health alternatives first, sometimes medication may be the best option.

First Day of Kindergarten

2011-03-29T07:30:00.001-05:00

It was my turn.

No more watching from the front door as my sister and brother headed off to school, leaving me alone with my mom and her hang over. My big sis walked me through the projects and over the hill to Johnson Elementary. I stood by myself as other little kids piled into the classroom, kisses and hugs exchanged, teary-eyed parents waved good-bye.

“Hi sweetheart, what’s your name?” a gentle voice asked. I answered as I watched her shiny red nail polish flip through the pages on a clipboard in front of her. Her long blond hair hung softly just above the papers. She was my Kindergarten teacher whose name I wish I knew.

Once class started, we colored and played and I did a puzzle with Big Bird on it. When it was naptime, the teacher dealt the giant deck of carpet pieces out onto the floor.

At kindergarten screening, it was discovered that I needed glasses. Before I laid down to take my nap, I put my glasses up on top of a desk where I thought they would be safe. When I woke up, my glasses were gone. Instant panic. “My mom’s gonna kill me!” was all I could think. Some of the other kids were already up. My eyes rushed around the room and stopped on a girl with dark skin and curly black hair. She had my glasses in her hand and was showing them to the other kids.

“Those are my glasses,” I told her.

“So?” she replied as she put them behind her back.

“Give em back!” I demanded.

“Nope,” she said with a smile.

I tried to reach behind her but she shoved me back. My mom’s angry face was pushing down on me as this obstacle stood in my way. I knew I needed to get my glasses.

Bam. I punched her right in the eye. As she stood there crying, I grabbed the glasses out of her hand. The teacher rushed over and told me to go sit down as she attended to the little thief.

The teacher kneeled down in front of me. I stared at the little flowers on her dress covering her knees, too afraid to look up. She said she didn’t blame me for getting mad at the girl for taking my glasses, but I should have came and told her first. Hitting was not allowed. She brought us together and made us apologize to each other.

When I got home, my mom was waiting for me at the dining room table.

“Get the hell over here!”

I held my breath as I slowly walked across the matted carpet. Once I got within range, she lunged forward and clamped on to my arms.

“What the hell did you do?” she screamed, shaking me back and forth.

“I got a call from your teacher. She said that you got into a fight with another girl. What the hell were you thinking?” The more she yelled, the madder and madder she got. Redness washed over her face and eyes as the cloud of her beer breath made me want to choke.

“Who do you think you are? You can’t even stay out of trouble for one day!” My face suddenly jerked to the side and erupted in fire as her hand slammed into my cheek. Uncontrollable tears instantly came to my eyes, but I quickly blinked them away.

“Now go up to your room and don’t come out.”

I laid on my side, my sore cheek facing up. My cold hand felt soothing against it. I stared at my sister’s poster of Barry Gibb and tried to figure it all out. My teacher saying, “Hitting is not allowed,” bounced around in my little head like a super ball.

* * * * *

Author’s note: This is a true story. This is my first time linking up The Red Dress Club. When I saw the prompt was to write about your memories of Kindergarten, I was gonna skip it. But then I thought…this is my story, this is what has made me who I am today and I’m not ashamed.

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Can You Say Cabin Fever???

2011-03-25T06:35:00.001-05:00

These were taken on Wednesday…you know, the day we got hit with yet again another snow storm! Ugh! Well, it started out as an ice shower, then turned into a snow event or whatever they wanna call it! Sense a hint of frustration…um, yeah. And it didn’t help that as I was backing out of our driveway to go to work, my front wheel drive vehicle got the rear wheels stuck in a giant snow plow induced snow ridge. So I burned a vacation day and stayed home with my two crazy boys and my DH.

And no, I’m not gonna post a pic of the snow! I’m so over it. ;-)

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My Day

2011-03-22T21:24:00.001-05:00

Domestic in progress, neighbors heard a female screaming.

Jenna and Miller, two of my officers, were sent.

I went flying up the interstate, lights and siren

Weaving in and out and around cars, at 70 MPH (or at least that’s what I will admit to)

Up the off ramp, my rapid left turn sent gravel spraying

I heard Jenna, first to arrive on scene, radio for more back-up

She could hear screaming coming from inside

I gunned it on a straight-away as the siren pulsated in my ears

Fish tailed around two more left turns and up ahead, I saw Miller’s squad car pulling up to the curb

I slammed my squad in park. Miller motioned me to the back door while he went to the front door.

I ran to the rear and used the corner of the house as cover, back door in sight.

“Hey Sarge, the door’s locked, can we kick it?” Miller yelled around back to me. Another officer arrived and took up my position while I ran to the front.

Public housing, steel doors and steel frames. Kicking it in wasn’t gonna happen. Just then, a maintenance man appeared and said he had a key.

Guns drawn, door opened, “Get your hands up!” One male immediately was taken into custody. A crying female insisted she was okay. A quick search of the house for other occupants and we were code 4.

That was my day.

* * * * *

Author’s note: I’ve been in my new assignment now for four months. I’m really enjoying the experience of being a patrol sergeant. It’s been trial by fire as I learn on the job without another sergeant to train me in. I’m just relying on common sense, experience, and a little bit of luck to keep me out of trouble. Disclaimer: I drove with due care at all times and at no point did I put anyone in danger. I am a certified defensive driver and have been for 15 years.

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and

(Image Credit)

Terrible Twos

2011-03-16T19:52:00.001-05:00

No one ever told me

Motherhood would be this hard

Fussy, crabby, fit throwing little person

That I love, love, love

Pushes me, stretches me

Makes me want to run out the door screaming,

“I can’t take this no more!”

Deep breath

In and out

Count to ten or five or two

Try not to yell or cry or swear

and just remember

He is only two and a half

Everyone says it goes fast

Some days…

Not fast enough

* * * * *

Author’s note: Don’t hate me. I’m just being real. Terrible twos are really hitting Cubbie hard right now, so if I turn to writing about it to vent, please forgive me. BTW, he just colored on the wall with a crayon while I posted this….seriously…ahem.

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and

7 Facts About Me

2011-03-14T06:51:00.001-05:00

Last week, I received virtual flowers from my bloggy friend Pennie at Mom Thoughts. Pennie has “devoted her life to God, her family and the ministry of SAMmy's.” Thanks Pennie for thinking of me!

So now, I’m supposed to list 7 facts about myself? Well, here we go:

1. I’m a brown belt in karate.

2. I love white chocolate mochas (so bad for me, I know.)

3. I have seven brothers and sisters, all step and half. I’m the youngest.

4. My DH and I have a dream that someday, we will move our little family to Colorado and live near the mountains…

This is the Black Canyon on the western slope of Colorado. DH and I took a trip there in 2004 and can’t wait to go back….one day.

5. I’m only 5 feet tall. My DH is 5’4. Nope, no future basketball players in this family!

6. Now that I’m back in uniform at work, the rule is we must have our hair up off the collar. Well, I was growing tired of constantly having to put my hair up in a ponytail, so last week, I chopped it all off.

No really, look:

7. This was the first time I’ve EVER colored (foiled?) my hair. Let’s face it, at 37, those grays are really starting to show.

So that’s seven facts about me. Now, I’m supposed to list five more blogs, but I’m gonna break the rules and say that EVERY one of you deserves it, so I can’t just name five. So consider it YOUR award too! :-)

Stumbling on the Beat

2011-03-09T21:18:00.001-06:00

Today, I got my squad car stuck in mud.

I was trying to turn around at the end of a dead end.

I put it in reverse, rocked it back and forth, and finally, with mud spraying up over the hood, I got it out.

My entire front end looked like something out of Dukes of Hazzard.

Then, as I started northbound on a busy street, I saw a man, arms flaying, walking, stumbling into oncoming traffic.

“What the heck is he doing?” I said out loud.

I turned on my lights, whipped a U-turn and blocked traffic with my squad just as he fell down onto his butt.

“You been drinking?” I asked the obvious question. He shook his head yes.

I helped him up, walked him back to my trunk, and leaned him against my squad as I searched and cuffed him.

Urine covered, he reeked of alcohol, and mumbled something about catching the bus.

What I thought was going to be a trip to Detox turned into a trip to jail.

He had several misdemeanor warrants, all driving and DUI offenses.

By the time he was booked, I only had enough time to get back to the office and go EOT (end of tour.)

I had to leave my mud covered squad car parked in the police line with other mostly clean squads

sticking out like a sore thumb, leaving my officers to wonder, “What did the Sarge get into this time?”

and a backseat that reeked of alcohol and urine.

What will tomorrow hold?

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Wordless Wednesday: A Boy and His Baby

2011-03-09T06:21:00.001-06:00

I just had to capture this. Cubbie was pretending to put his baby to sleep. Since I lay with him and his brother for a minute when I put them to bed, he of course thought he should do the same.

Sorry, I’ve never been good at being wordless! ;-)

Bakugans!

2011-03-07T06:58:00.001-06:00

Cubbie’s latest hobby is collecting Bakugans. They are these neat little toys that fold out into creatures, kind of like animal transformers. I don’t really know the story behind them, with the battles and such, and neither does Cubbie. He just thinks they’re cool!

When you put one of these little balls on a magnetic card, they fold out to look like this:

Happy Monday everyone!

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Big Time

2011-03-04T06:34:00.001-06:00

This is how we plow the roads in these parts!

So, funny story…I happen to be home the other day when I saw the front end loader coming down the road to plow. The boys were taking their naps, so I ran out in my sweats and flip flops (first thing I could find), stood in my driveway and snapped some pics. My thought was the boys would love to have some close up shots of something so cool. Then, the driver pulled over towards me, turned the machine off, opened his door and said, “Hi” (I’m sure he was thinking, “What is this crazy lady doing???”). I told him I was taking pictures for two little boys that love anything construction related. He laughed and said that typically the people who are out taking pictures of him as he plows are the ones suing the city!

I assure him I had no such intentions and thanked him for the great job he does. We did get our front lawn chewed up one year by them, but the city came out in the spring and repaired it right away.

Ok, now I promise, this is the last snow related post for this year…I hope! :-)

Cancun

2011-03-03T06:42:00.001-06:00

I was twenty-four.

Kim was twenty-one.

Off to Cancun we went.

She was my naïve little cousin, small town girl.

“It will be fun. You need to lighten up anyways, with you being a big town cop and all.”

She guilted me in to going.

Once off the plane in Cancun and after an hour getting through customs, we looked for our shuttle bus.

We saw tourists being put in groups, waiting to board.

But not Kim and I.

“You stay here,” one worker told us as he pointed to the curb, away from everyone else.

The tourists dwindled and soon, there were more shuttle bus workers than tourists.

A premonition or maybe my law enforcement training or divine intervention…

Something didn’t feel right.

Two young American girls standing all by ourselves, surrounded by Mexican men.

I told Kim that I didn’t like it. She gave me a hard time, said I was being “paranoid.”

Then, I realized that the last group of tourists, minus us, was being herded on to a shuttle bus. I knew, just knew, I had to do something.

I walked up to the man with the clipboard who was checking names off as the tourists boarded.

“We are getting on this bus.” I told him.

“No, you wait.”

“No! We are going on THIS bus NOW.” I yanked Kim’s arm and forced her in-line with me, right behind the last tourists.

“No, bus come later!” The man shouted at me as two other workers approached us.

“No, we are getting on this bus!” I wasn’t yelling, but I made it clear we weren’t going anywhere.

Finally, the driver yelled something in Spanish at the men now surrounding us. He then waived us in. The men slowly backed off.

For the rest of the trip, Kim didn’t leave my side and I made sure we were safely back inside our guarded hotel gates before dark.

I don’t know what those men had in store for us, but to this day, I’m glad I took action even though Kim thought I was being “mean.”

* * * * *

Author’s note: Please, please don’t take this piece of memoir wrong. I love Mexico and the majority of the people there are wonderful, lovely souls. I am only writing about this because it’s an experience I had and maybe it will help people just to be more aware when they travel.

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Disappointment, a Monkey, Digital Scrapbooking, and a Fish

2011-03-01T06:15:00.001-06:00

1. My DH did not get into the RN master’s degree program at the State University. He is, however, still waiting to hear back from them regarding their bachelor’s degree program and from the local college regarding the associate’s degree program. Yes, he’s disappointed. But considering he’s 12 years out of school, he’s not surprised. Plus, it would have been pretty intense, an RN degree in 18 months!

2. Cubbie started gymnastics this past Saturday. He is such a monkey! He even said, “ooh, ooh, eee, eee” while he was hanging from the bars. Crazy boy. He is pretty agile and tore up the place. Good thing they have a mix of climbing, jumping, beams, and a slide. I was a tired mama when I was done!

3. I’ve been doing more digital scrapbooking with my PSE8. I don’t really know what I’m doing yet, but I printed my first 12 X 12 page at Costco for $2.99. Wanna see???

(I edited out his real name.)

I know, pretty basic. I just don’t have a ton of time to learn all the little tricks and extras. Maybe some day…

4. Sprout is finishing up his swim classes. I’m so proud of him! At first, he wouldn’t even jump in the pool to the swim teacher. Now, a month later, he’s even putting his head under water and jumping off the starting blocks!

Do you see what my son is doing here? He is instigating the others to slap their feet on the floor and splash when they are supposed to be waiting patiently for the teacher. Yes, that is my son! :-)

Kindergarten Round-Up

2011-02-25T06:30:00.001-06:00

I'm still recovering. Yesterday, we went to Sprout's Kindergarten Round-up. As in, he'll be starting Kindergarten in the Fall.

Doesn't he look so...so...much older in this pic? What's next, he's off to college?!? Oh my heart can't take it! How did this happen. I need to write a letter to my congressman or my pastor or the president to stop it.

(Sprout and I, 1 day old, taken just before leaving the hospital)

Time. How did time get away from me? It seems like just yesterday he was being whisked away from me to the NICU after being born.

And now this.

Oh my heart can’t take it. Anyone have a Kleenex?

Just Another Day at the Office

2011-02-23T08:05:00.000-06:00

This is what I saw when I arrived at work yesterday.

Do you think they are hiring in Florida??? ;-)

Third Grade

2011-02-22T06:12:00.001-06:00

I was the new kid with big glasses and dorky clothes. I wanted someone, anyone to like me. First day, alone at the cafeteria table, a skinny girl with short brown hair named Shenell sat next to me. She was like me. New kid, not popular, absentee working class parents and Kmart special shoes. We quickly became friends.

While she blended in, for some reason, I stood out to the bullies. After one nasty run in with Kim, a heavy set Asian girl who knocked the wind out of me, Shenell gave me a friendship pin. I almost cried.

Every day at recess, we watched the other girls as they played Chinese Jump Rope. We memorized their moves and after school, practiced in Shenell’s dining room. We wrapped rubber band ropes around the legs of the chairs. Inevitably, one of us would cause the chairs to come crashing down on us, sending us both into uncontrollable fits of laughter.

Tryouts for Pom Poms came and went. I made it on the squad, Shenell didn’t. So the next year when tryouts loomed, I went over every routine with her. And she made it. Together, we got to jump and kick and shake our pom poms to Abracadabra, 867-5309/Jenny, and Angel in the Centerfold, performing for senior citizens and school assemblies.

Softball season started and I dragged Shenell to my practices. My coach, never to let someone sit by on the sidelines, threw her a glove and made her take the outfield. Thank goodness hardly anything was ever hit to her, she couldn’t catch worth a darn.

That summer after forth grade, I moved up north to go live with my mom and step-dad. For some reason, I never got a chance to say good-bye to her. I don’t know what ever happened to Shenell, but I still have her friendship pin.

(Image Credit)

* * * * *

This post is linked to the writing prompt: “Write a story about a childhood fad” on Ginny’s blog, Lemon Drop Pie.

My New Look!

2011-02-21T17:00:00.001-06:00

I’m so excited to show off my new blog look, thanks to Danielle at The Design Girl. I couldn’t believe I won her giveaway for a blog makeover.

She has been patient with me and got it all done within a week! Best of all…she has offered a $10 discount to YOU! Just tell her I sent you and get your deposit in by the end of the week.

My Rock

2011-02-20T07:39:00.001-06:00

I took this shot while we were on our little getaway last fall. I love the contrasts and colors, even though it is just rocks. By the way, do you see the agates?

Have a blessed Sunday!

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I Forgot

2011-02-16T20:15:00.001-06:00

Last week, we were sent on a 911 hang-up.

We couldn’t find the address for nothing, cross streets didn’t make sense.

Finally, in the back of an industrial area where no one lives…

They lived.

Low income housing, crammed together units.

Over unshoveled sidewalks, past a discarded couch.

Knock, knock, stand to side, waiting.

An unknown tongue heard from inside.

No answer at the door.

Knock, knock, rap on window, stand to side, waiting impatiently.

Unknown tongue.

“Police, open the door!”

Click, door opens.

There stands a frail, almost emaciated dark skinned elderly male with no shirt, floral wrap around his waist.

And a curious four year old peaking from behind his leg.

“Anyone call 911?” My partner asks.

“No, no 911,” the man states in heavy accent.

I ask the boy, “Did you call 911?”

“No, no 911” the elderly male answers. “Come, come,” he motions us in.

We slowly make our way into the unit. Dingy walls, no furniture, and an elderly dark skinned woman sitting on a mat in the postage stamp living room. The four year old bounces around, happy to see visitors. I’m guessing they are the grandparents, watching the child.

The smell of a spice foreign to me hangs heavy in the air of the tiny kitchen. I peak in the bedroom to make sure no one is hiding on us and everything is okay. All I see is a small twin mattress for a bed. No dresser, no pictures, no nothing. And it occurs to me…

I forgot.

It’s been ten years since I last worked patrol, and I forgot…

This is how people live.

My partner gives a gentle warning to the little boy not to play with the phone, then we are off.

And that call stays on my mind for the rest of my shift.

* * * * *

Author’s note: I wish I could do something, anything for people living in poverty. I am currently assigned to public housing patrol and I myself lived in public housing for a time as a child. I guess I try to remember that at least they aren’t homeless, they have shelter.

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Melt Snow, Melt!

2011-02-15T06:14:00.001-06:00

Guess what I spotted yesterday???

Grass!

It's been about three months since we've actually seen grass in these parts. No, it's not green yet...but soon! It was so warm and awesome yesterday. After I got home from work, I let the boys go outside and…

just

boys!

By the way, anyone know what these orange sticks are that Cubbie is playing with? Anyone??? Anyone???

Don’t worry my little spirea, you’ll be free soon enough!

Today is the Day

2011-02-14T06:37:00.001-06:00

Happy Valentine’s Day!

And of all days…

Today, the state university is going to pick who gets to be interviewed for their Masters in Nursing Program.

And my husband is on that list of applicants.

He’s been nervously awaiting this day.

By next Tuesday, he should know if he was one of the ones selected for an interview.

Yes, he also put in for their Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing program, as well as applying for the ADN program at the local community college.

But his hopes are set on the 16 month intensive Masters program.

So a little prayer would be much appreciated.

He and I thank you!

* * * * * *

Oh, and by the way, many of you guessed right on my last post…they were magnets! Sprout had brought them home in a “snuggle pack” from preschool.

Image Credit

A Colorful Quiz

2011-02-09T06:25:00.001-06:00

What

are

my boys

playing with?

Any guesses???

*****

I love these guys. Have I said that lately? Probably. As I post this, I’m about to go out the door to work and they are still sleeping. No hugs or kisses good-bye. But that makes coming home even sweeter! Have a good Wednesday!

Leap of Faith (Part 2)

2011-02-03T19:56:00.001-06:00

(If you would like to read “Leap of Faith” original post, click here.)

Yesterday was my DH’s last day at his Chiropractic clinic. He turned over the keys of a clinic it took him 10 years to build to his replacement, and walked away. It was hard on him. Some patients, he told me, even cried. But he knows in his heart it’s time for a change.

He wants to be an RN. He has his applications in for the fall for the AS, BSN, and MSN programs that are offered at the community college and the state university.

And guess what? Today was his FIRST day at a new job! He was hired by an assisted living facility not too far from home.

No, he didn’t get the ER Tech job he wanted, but at least he can gain some experience and make an income.

The drawback…it’s evenings and weekends. But considering that’s how I started out my first five years with the police department, I’m not surprised.

I’m proud of him. It takes a lot of courage to simply walk away from your profession, take a pay cut, and go from being the owner of your own business to being the newest employee with the least seniority. As I sit here and type this, it’s 7:32 PM and I can’t help but wonder how it’s going for him.

So I say a little prayer and hope that in the end, this will all be worth it and the doors will open for him to become a Registered Nurse.

* * * * *

PS. Thank YOU for all your kind comments and emails. My tooth is much better now. Not totally pain free yet, but getting there!

Photo Credit

I’m In Pain

2011-02-01T06:31:00.001-06:00

Sorry, I normally try to be positive here on my blog but…

I’m in pain.

My root canal is killing me. I got antibiotics yesterday and I’m taking ibuprofen every 4 hours. But that only takes the edge off.

No, it doesn’t compare to the two natural child births I’ve had, but there’s just something about non-stop tooth pain that just makes you crazy.

And to be honest, there’s more to the story…

As a kid, my parents didn’t make me brush my teeth. My mom was usually passed out or drunk, and when I stayed with my dad, he was at work a lot, leaving my stepmother in charge.

I don’t even remember having a toothbrush until I was in high school, when I finally realized I didn’t want to have bad breath. At nineteen, I started flossing for the first time. At twenty four, after having my first root canal and three cavities filled, I vowed to do my best to take care of my teeth. The problem is, the damage was already done. I had a mouth full of cavities.

Now, years later, I am paying for it. Some of those old fillings are starting to fail. The tooth that I had the root canal in this past Thursday already had two fillings in it.

The worst part is…I have to go back to work today.

But the best part is…I have to go back to work today. I need the distraction to keep my mind off the pain.

The above picture: Cubbie crawled up on my lap while I was sitting in the rocking chair, feeling miserable and sorry for myself. As their mom, I will not let my boys down. I will be the parent I never had. Even if they throw a fit and hate brushing their teeth. Whatever it takes so they don’t have to be in pain.

Have You Seen My Spaceship?

2011-01-31T07:50:00.001-06:00

Hello my friend, how are you today? I am Buzz Lightyear, Space Ranger.

You, my friend, are one of my favorite life forms. Really, you are! A Space Ranger never lies.

Hello, are you still there?

My wings are standard issue, the finest in terillium carbonic design.

Switching to internal air supply. The evil emperor Zurg is out there somewhere. Stand back while I power up my laser.

You might say we will be friends to infinity and beyond! Ah ha ha ha!

* * *

I just had to post all the crazy sayings I hear around my house at any hour, even after the boys go to bed. Yes, buzz talks on his own at times and totally freaks me out!

* * *

As a member of the elite space ranger corp, I am trained for any task at hand.

Great Buzz, can you handle laundry?

Are you mocking me?

Root Canal

2011-01-28T06:40:00.001-06:00

I’m staring at the florescent lights on the ceiling

Out of the corner of my eye I see my dentist with the needle

I try to pretend I’m elsewhere

Ten minutes earlier, I walked in to get my temporary crown adjusted

Now here I am

Getting a ROOT CANAL!

I’m focusing on the pock marked surface of the false ceiling

as “Super Freak” comes across the satellite headphones they provided

and I laugh, not out loud of course,

at the situation…

Surprise oral surgery

80’s tunes

$1,113.50

And a lead apron on top of me because

Oh yeah, by the way

with a late you-know-what

I had to mention I could be

you-know-what (I doubt it, just being safe)

so they gave me the lead apron

And that, my friends, was my day

* * * * *

Author’s note: Yes, my crown turned into a root canal yesterday. I can’t really understand it, other than instead of going in at my six month cleaning, I waited a whole year. So…

When was YOUR last cleaning??? Go! Go NOW!

Mommy Behind the Badge

2011-01-26T06:25:00.001-06:00

This morning before I left for work,

I kissed a sleeping Sprout on his cheek,

whispered, “Love you, baby”

and wondered…

Will he ever see me again?

Then, I quickly erased the thought.

I can’t allow myself to go there,

or else I can’t do my job.

It only takes one call, one traffic stop.

Or it could be a totally random thing.

I have to be focused and have my head in the right place.

So I prayed a little prayer,

leaned over in Cubbie’s crib,

kissed his baby fine hair,

and trusted that God will go with me

each and every day.

* * * * *

Author’s note: I wrote this Monday night, before I realized that in a 24 hour period in this country, 11 officers would be shot in the line of duty, two fatally. Please remember to keep your police officers, deputies, and troopers covered in prayer. And thank you for doing so.

Queen for a Day….or Not

2011-01-24T06:39:00.001-06:00

I'm getting a crown today...

Nope, not this kind

Nor this kind

And not even this one

No, this is the type of crown I'm getting today...

I’m so bummed. I’ve gone for six years without a single cavity, and now,

I need a crown!

Not happy. I really do not like going to the dentist.

The whole needle in the gums thing is what gets me.

And the noise and the drilling and well, actually all of it pretty much stinks.

But I’ll go, pay my crazy amount for someone to cause me pain.

And try not to drool all over when I pick the boys up from daycare afterward!

A Typical Saturday Morning

2011-01-22T10:37:00.001-06:00

I captured this shot this morning. I love Saturday mornings simply because I get to stay home with my husband and my boys. Today, however, DH is volunteering 12 hours at the local ER, hoping to get a foot in the door and land a job as an ER Tech.

So what do YOU notice about this shot? Well, here’s what I notice:

Sprout still in jammies, but Cubbie insists on getting dressed first thing when he gets up.
Buzz Lightyear’s leg, he is never far from Sprout.
Books on dining room table as Daddy prepares for applying to the Master’s degree nursing program at the state university.
M & Ms next to Cubbie, reward for using the potty.
Mounds of snow on the grill outside….seriously, how much more are we gonna get!

I love these guys.

“Look at the teddy, Mama. Right here!”

I have no clue what he is saying, maybe,

“Mama, did we move to Siberia ‘cuz that’s a lot of snow!”

* * * * *

Now, I need to come up with something fun to do today, just me and the boys. Any ideas??? Did I mention it’s only 1 degree outside?!?

What are YOU up to this weekend????

Leap of Faith

2011-01-18T06:25:00.001-06:00

After 12 years of being a chiropractor, my husband is leaving the profession.

He sold his clinic and as of February 1st, we will be a one-income family.

He’s changing careers and wants to go into nursing. He’s applied to nursing school at the state university (both BS and Master’s degree programs) and a local community college for this coming fall.

He’s a hard worker with a good work ethic.

I believe in him. He’s intelligent and genuinely cares about people.

But so many things are out of his control…

Will he get into school?

And even if he does, will he be able to find a job when he graduates?

We’ve prayed long and hard about this. It took him several years to finally take this leap.

My job is secure as long as I don’t do something illegal or something really stupid.

But what if we have to struggle to make ends meet? How are we going to pay for his schooling?

He’s hoping to get his foot in the door somewhere. He volunteers at the local ER and is applying for CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) and ER Tech jobs.

So we pray and pray and pray, asking God to open a door for him.

And I try to remember…

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

(Photo credit)